MGFNL Season 2026 - Round 17 Review

The ladder again proved the best predictor of results for Round Seventeen of the MGFNL with all teams positioned highest winning their clashes. The results solidified he spots at the top end while leaving the door ajar for any of four sides still in the fight for the last two finals positions heading into the last round.

Yinnar were the big winners of the round taking Hill End to the cleaners, while Tarwin also registered a near on three figure win over Toora. MDU saluted in the battle of the Demons against Boolarra. Thorpy held on over a fast finishing Newborough and Mirboo North and Stony Creek went into the last term with just a point between them before a three goal to one final term saw Mirboo North come away with the points. 

Fish Creek, Foster and Morwell East had byes.

Hill End v Yinnar

Hill End faced Yinnar this week (with Foster to follow in Round Eighteen) knowing they most likely needed win one of their last two games to retain a finals spot. At home under a bright blue sky cheered on by a bumper home crowd hopes of the upset win were in the air.

And when Andy Daly kicked the first goal of the game the Rovers were up and about early.

It may have taken the visiting Pies over ten minutes to slot their first but when they did they went on a roll and the blue sky turned into a blue mood for those in green and gold as Yinnar proceeded to kick twenty-two of the next twenty-six goal to run out the easiest of winners 22-13-145 to 5-2-32. 

For the visitors it started as it so often does for them, with a small forward. This time it was the returning Mick Geary. Grinstead Jones was the provider for the first before Geary slotted his second after some good work from Harvey McKay. The kid went back with the flight of the footy to take a ripping grab, hit the ground at full speed and sent a bullet to Geary who marked and goaled.

It was then Clancy Mills who lit up the scoreboard after an unselfish Lachy Pratt found him open with a pass. The flood gates were open and it felt like Yinnar turned every front half entry into a score. The Pies midfield was dominant despite the home side’s Tom Jonston winning many of the early ruck taps and when Hill Ends Seth Calway left the ground injured it was real trouble for the Rovers.

Pie skipper Blake Van Der Meer was awarded a free and kicked the last goal of the term it felt like an eternity since Hill End had opened the scoring as Yinnar had piled on six in reply with Will Robertson also helping himself to a major during the goal spree.

Ever the mid game master of a revival Hill End coach Tom Hallinan moved some magnets around to try and spark his line-up. Calway returned and was joined by Ash Hermanus in the middle with Aaron Fawcett riding shotgun to start the second.

After an unusually quiet opening team Sam Walsh was injected into the engine room with great effect for Yinnar and Bobby Linton, who was first ruck on the day in the absence of Jesse Bowe, started to negate some of the Johnston influence.

Fast forward twenty-seven minutes and Yinnar had played arguably their best quarter of footy for the year. They piled on seven goals to one and did it in style. Centre clearances led to goal. Run and carry off half back led to goal. Forward fifty stoppage led to goal. And try as they might the Paul boys and Jaryd Riddle just could not stop the onslaught.

First it was Grinstead Jones finding the big sticks, then he found Geary (again) who found the big sticks. Then Nixon Hall won a free and goaled before Ben Skinner turned back the clock and took off at speed, hit the loose ball, sharked it cleanly and slotted one on the trusty left.

The only saving grace for Hill End was when Kade Perkins kicked the first of his two majors for the day from some sensational centre clearance work by the home side. 

Sadly, for them though this was countered by a comical James DeVirglio goal. JDV snuck on to the ground off the bench with the ball on the low side of the Hill End ground. He wandered into the forward fifty and set up residence on his own. When Yinnar won the stoppage and surged forward he was standing there like the statue of liberty. He marked and goaled. Pratt, served up by an unselfish Will Robertson, shortly after did the same before the second term finished like the first did via a Van Der Meer goal.

Aside from Hill End opening the third term with the play of the day which led to a terrific Josh Mills goal not much happened after the long break you cannot decode from what went on in the first half.

Speaking after the game Hill End coach Tom Hallinan said of the outcome “at this stage of the year we had high expectations of a more even contest, however Yinnar were on from the first bounce. Slick, layered, intent and they certainly delivered in a dominant display”.

When asked about his sides better performers Hallinan offered up “ever consistent Tom Johnstone, who must be in contention for league best and fairest and team of the year was outstanding for us. Zach Mills down back, Andy Daly on ball and first goal of the day, Liam Cuminskey with a highlight taking a specky and finishing with a set shot goal was also solid both on ball and forward”.

His counterpart Sam McCulloch acknowledged Hill Ends fast start saying “Hill End came out strongly and threw everything at us early. It took us a little while to settle into the contest, but once we found our rhythm, we were able to play the game on our terms and establish a handy lead at quarter time, which we continued to build on through to half-time”.

McCulloch continued, “we carried momentum into the second half and maintained a consistent brand of football across all four quarters, applying pressure and making sure we stayed disciplined throughout the game”.

When asked about individual performers Mc Culloch said “it was particularly pleasing to have everyone contribute and play their role in what was a strong team performance”.

For what it is worth I felt Luke Linton was excellent around the ground in his ruck battle with Johnston. Flynn Schill and Harry McColl were again central to Yinnar’s ball winning and ball movement while in the front half the four weapons, Grinstead Jones, Geary, Roberston and Pratt all got a lick of the ice cream while ensuring the team was put first.

Adding to the list of better players offered up by Tom Hallinan for his side I thought Harry Moore was excellent and wish he had have been named third best by the club as I doubt never before have players 74, 75 and 76 featured as the best three on the ground for a side.

Tarwin v Toora

Tarwin were big winners over Toora in a game they needed to win and increase their percentage in, and boy did the Sharks tick those boxes. They kept Toora to a single goal and ran out ninety-eight point winners 16-13-108 to 1-5-11.

The tone was set early for the win with a five goal to none opening term. Brodie Senior-Gibson slotted the games first two majors. He was joined by Toby Mahoney, Rem Dal pozzo and best on ground Jordan Bertacco as goal kickers while the miserly Tarwin defence, again led stoically by Ricky O’Loughlin, restricted the visiting Pies to just two points.

The second quarter was more of the same. With Ben Ellen and Kyle Yann dominant in the middle a wasteful Tarwin booted seven behinds to go with four gaols from a raft of inside fifty entries. Mahoney, Dal pozzo and Senior-Gibson were again amongst the goals with debutant Hudson Guymer sending the crowd and teammates alike into raptures as he slotted his first ever senior goal.

The second half of this clash mirrored the first with the exception of Toora saving face by kicking their only goal of the day in the last term when Sam Bright raised the dual calico’s.

Lachi and Sam Smart joined Josh Halsall as the better players for Toora who finished their senior footy season on Saturday. Whilst not the season farewell they’d have been after anyone who follows their terrific social media accounts will know they still had plenty of fun on Saturday night. And probably Sunday too.

For Tarwin, who have at least one more week to go, with finals still a real chance, it was Bertacco, Ellen and Dal Pozzo named best. Dal pozzo also headed the goal kickers list with four, while Senior Gibson had three along with Mahoney.

An upbeat Tarwin coach, Lachie Jones, said of the game “our biggest win of the season and I was very pleased with how we applied ourselves today as a team”. 

Asked about individual efforts Jones added “our midfield today were led by Ellen and Bertacco who really worked hard all game. Brodie Senior-Gibson was our best forward for the match”.

Jones was also quick to acknowledge the club’s junior development noting “We had our fourth debutant for the year in Hudson Guymer who played well and kicked a goal in the second quarter which really kept our energy up”. 

The coach finished up with a nod to Toora adding “Credit to Jake and the Toora boys, they didn’t give up all game despite the margin”. 

Thorpdale v Newborough

Looking to have their game, and a finals berth, wrapped up at the long break Thorpdale had to survive a huge scare from a fast finishing Newborough to cling on to the crucial win 12-12-84 to 11-9-75.

A wasteful Newborough took nearly twenty minutes to open their goal kicking account in the first term. By this stage the home side had already managed three and were up and about. The late Doggies goal though sent them to the huddle with a little more pep in their step than they otherwise might have had and hopes were high for a competitive second quarter.

Sadly, for the tricolours the second term is exactly where the game was won and lost. Thorpy went on a tear slamming home five of the finest while they wayward Dogs could only add four points to their tally. The forty-one point margin was surely adequate and the ‘Dales could start planning for their first final, right?

Wrong!

The very same Dogs who couldn’t find the big sticks in the first half piled on eight majors in the premiership quarter and in the twinkling of an eye they headed to the last break full of confidence, full of momentum and only eleven points in arrears. It was game on and despite trailing many at the ground were confident of a Bulldog win.

Alas the last quarter turned into an arm wrestle with only three goals kicked. But with Thorpy getting plenty of the ball forward they managed to get five behinds to go with their solitary goal and hold on for a nine point win. The win sees Thorpy guaranteed a finals berth and leaves the Dogs as part of a group of four fighting it out for a slice of post season action.

Jordy and Jesse Patullo joined ruckman Gav Low as the three best on the park for Thorpy. Matt Powell slotted three for the winners with all of Trav Pattern, Jesse Patullo and Anthony Rosato booting two.

For Newborough Josh Pearce managed four goals with Matt Rowlings and Nathan Whiledon kicking two each. Whieldon was joined by Matt Heywood and Pat Charles as the best trio on the ground for the Dogs.

Stony Creek v Mirboo North

With nothing separating the sides at the main break and just a point in it at the final break Mirboo North prevailed in a cracking contest winning 9-7-61 to 7-6-48 over Stony Creek.

The visitors hit the ground running with the first two majors of the day and were lively early. Stony Creek’s solitary goal of the quarter was countered almost immediately and the Tigers had the lead by thirteen points at the first change.

And when they kicked the first two of the second term alarm bells were ringing for the locals as they trailed by nigh on five goals just five minutes into the second quarter.

But the home side simply weren’t copping it and went on a four goal streak themselves to end the half and see the scores locked at 5-4-34 each of two.

The third term was a battle with the visitors managing an additional point to their hosts and that was the difference between the two sides at the last break.

Let’s permit Stony Creek coach,  Troy Shepherdson, to summarise what happened from here. He said “At the final change Mirboo held a one point lead. We were hoping we would run over the top of them with no bench left, but Damo (Mirboo North coach Damien Tuurner) as he does he inspired his boys to dig deep and they came away with the choccies.

Indeed, Turner too was complimentary toward his opponent after the game saying, “Stony Creek made us earn every possession in a game that ebbed and flowed all afternoon.”

On the game Turner noted “ninth versus tenth turned into a great game of footy! It had a bit of everything; the contest was certainly worth a look”! 

Asked about his sides better players Turner said “Hud Kerr was in everything, well supported by Jesse Chila, while Jesse Rawlings continues to impress with his aerial and ruckwork around the ground”.

For Stony Creek it was again the Stone’s, Cameron and Tom doing their best work along with Jacob Strickland. In terms of goal kickers Nick Svenson was the only multiple goal scorer with two while five others had singles.

MDU v Boolarra

The battle of the demons was certainly a game of two halves. With just a point between the sides at the long break MDU ran away comfortable winners 15-11-101 to 7-7-49 to keep their finals hopes alive.

After levelling the scores with the first behind of the third term MDU went on to have the next eight scoring shots and were it not for inaccuracy or a late Joel Mason goal to Boolarra the game would have bene done at the last break. As it was though the Boolarra boys trailed by twenty-two points and were still some sort of a hope. 

That hope was gone not long after however as MDU went on a run of six goals to end the game.

On the second half MDU coach Rhett Kelly said “at halftime we made a few adjustments, and I thought the boys' response was really positive. We came out in the third quarter and really started to get on top. Our defensive effort had much more purpose, and once we were able to win the ball back, we did a really good job of getting it forward and playing on our terms.”

He then added “The third and fourth quarters were a really strong response from the group, and hopefully we can take some of that momentum and confidence into this week's game”.

On the second term, where Boolarra seemed to dominate Kelly offered up the following “We allowed Boolarra to play their way into the game. They really started to push us. We had a bit of a lapse defensively, and they were able to capitalise, hitting the scoreboard a few times and putting some pressure back on us.

Outgoing Boolarra coach Brendan Mason said of the game “really happy with our effort today. Up at half time but got beaten in some patches where MDU were just too good for us”.

On MDU’s style of play and better players Mason offered up “they would have kicked four or five goals going coast to coast. (Trent) Macrae was damaging for them with four goals while (Jamie) Yule was classy all day”.

For MDU Jaymie Yule, Jarvis Tracy and Trent McRae, four goals, were named best. Sam Wilson slotted three with Archie Casey, Tim Harris and Brayden Sellings managing two each.

Boolarra had just the one multiple goal kicker with Matt Dyer booting two, while Tom Beamish joined his captains, coach and Tim Potter in kicking one each.

Will Flanagan was best on ground for the defeated Demons with Josh Wilson joining his captains and coach among the best six for Boolarra.   

Fish Creek, Foster and Morwell East all had a bye.